Project Reality Engine: Battlefield 2 URL: www.realitymod.com This total conversion takes the rolling levels, mass battles and mixture of vehicles and infantry combat seen in Battlefield 2, but adds a healthy mix of American Army realism. To see what our troops are really up against in the world's warzones, Project Reality is arguably the closest a game has come. And after playing this mod, we've learnt that modern warfare is a terrifyingly easy way to die.

Thanks to portable SAMS, you'll finally be able to reach out and touch this guy.

There'll be none of the bunny-hopping, prone-rolling antics of BF2 seen here troops. A strict stamina meter puts an end to that. There aren't even any crosshairs on the weapons in Project Reality - shooting from the hip threatens low flying aircraft more than the enemy troops. Instead, you'll need to aim down the iron sights, but weapons have been given a boost in accuracy and power when fired in this mode.

Most classes have very similar weaponry, so to add some variety is an experimental Quartermaster system. This dishes out a very limited number of specialist weaponry to squad members, stopping the teams from being comprised solely of snipers or heavy machine gunners.

The health system is much less forgiving than its host engine, with a mere bullet or two all that's necessary to end a soldier's life. Throw in a bleeding system, where wounded warriors must seek medical attention, and increased respawn times, and getting shot is suddenly a whole lot more painful. This leads to more considered gameplay - Rambo tactics are punishingly negated, with team tactics the only way to survive. It's also impossible to jump into opposition vehicles, except for simple jeeps, and tanks and APCs are now multi-crewed. One person drives, while another mans the gun, just like the real thing.

Using entirely new vehicle models and maps, the game even looks very different to BF2. For the most part it's visually impressive, and we love the increased focus on foliage, but the new British forces could do with a spit polish.

If you're looking for a similar BF2 experience but with a push towards realism and technical accuracy, Project Reality is the mod for you. It's an unforgiving experience at first, but you'll reap the rewards if you play it like a real soldier.

Point of Existence 2 Engine: Battlefield 2 URL: www.pointofexistence.com It's not quite as drastic a change from BF2 as Project Reality, but POE2 makes the BF2 booster packs look positively weak. With all new maps, vehicles and weapons, it delivers that beloved BF2 gameplay in a shiny new wrapper.

Relive those touching Black Hawk Down tear-jerkers.

It's the attention to detail and polish that makes POE2 stand out for us. Sure, it doesn't feel a whole lot different to BF2, even though the weapon accuracy is more inline with the real world counterparts. And it doesn't make any technical changes to the engine to get excited about. But it's the way it takes the strengths of the BF2 engine, and pushes them in ways that the BF2 maps and models don't even match, that makes it feel like a fully fledged commercial expansion pack.

Level design is astonishing - place your bets now as to when the mappers get picked up by Dice and EA. The map "Fallen" stands out for the immense amount of grass and foliage everywhere, which can finally be used in a tactical manner - yet there's little slowdown or chugging to be seen. We're constantly amazed at how these maps manage to make Dice's look a little rough around the edges, but performance hasn't suffered.

Vehicle and weapon design is right up there as well, with a host of new German and Ukrainian models. The German teams focus on high-tech accuracy, while Ukrainians have to make do with older but more brutish weaponry. As a result, the balance of the mod is still debated heavily amongst the community, but further gameplay tuning will surely rectify this.

And it's got arguably two of the coolest features yet seen in BF2 - portable SAM missiles and blood effects. So now you can whip out your SAM missile, blast that chopper whore out of the sky, and watch his bleeding corpse fall to the ground. It's even got destructible fences, a feature EA still hasn't managed to include in BF2142!

For sheer production values, POE2 stands out as the slickest-looking product of the bunch. We can't wait for some more drastic game mechanic changes to show up in future revisions.

We've no doubt missed a gazillion or two quality mods, so come and tell us all about them on the Aussie Forums. We're always looking for quality new mods to cover!